It would connect with onboard computers in cars to prevent unauthorised vehicles gaining access or slowing them to walking pace.

Government on alert for ‘zero-day’ attack

DfT confirmed that the government was also looking at the use of technology to pre vent attacks using vehicles as weapons. A DfT spokesperson said: “Departments across government have been working together with the police and security service to explore what more can be done to prevent the malicious use of vehicles as a weapon. The DfT is exploring what role vehicle safety technologies can play in mitigating this. This work is at an early stage.”

Sweden is already adapting the technology to vehicles in response to an attack in Stockholm in April when a truck was driven into pedestrians on a busy shopping street, killing four people. Vehicle manufacturers including Scania and Volvo are involved in trials of the technology .A British firm is also reportedly working on similar technology by using telematics -black box-style devices -to shut down a car or lorry when it has been hijacked.